Trump Cancels A.I. Executive Order Hours Before Signing
President Trump postponed an executive order Thursday that would have given the federal government power to review artificial intelligence models before their public release. The White House canceled the signing event hours before it was scheduled to occur, even as executives from major A.I. companies were already traveling to the Oval Office.
Trump told reporters he delayed the order because he "didn't like certain aspects of it," but provided no specifics. He added that he was concerned the order could undermine U.S. competitiveness against China in A.I. development.
The White House had invited chief executives from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, and Microsoft just 24 hours before the scheduled signing. Many could not rearrange their schedules in time. Trump was unhappy with their absence, according to people familiar with internal conversations.
What the Order Would Have Done
The executive order would have reversed the administration's hands-off approach to A.I. regulation. It would have directed the Office of the National Cyber Director and other agencies to develop a process for evaluating new A.I. models within two months before they were made public.
The order represented a significant shift in policy. Until now, the White House had taken a lighter regulatory touch with A.I. companies.
Weeks of Internal Division
The cancellation capped weeks of disagreement within the White House over how to handle A.I. oversight. The debate reflects broader tension between those who prioritize national security concerns and those focused on maintaining the U.S. lead in A.I. development.
Government officials and private sector leaders have been divided on whether pre-release review of A.I. models would help or hinder American competitiveness. The last-minute cancellation suggests those concerns won out.
For government professionals working on technology policy, the reversal underscores how quickly A.I. regulation priorities can shift. Learn more about A.I. for Government and Generative A.I. and LLM topics to stay current on policy developments.
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